U.S. patent application number 09/168513 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-03 for multi-application communication device.
Invention is credited to FEHNEL, MICHAEL, SINGH, MONA.
Application Number | 20020002060 09/168513 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22611808 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020002060 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SINGH, MONA ; et
al. |
January 3, 2002 |
MULTI-APPLICATION COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Abstract
A multi-application communication device comprising a wireless
communicator configured to provide telecommunications between the
device and the public land mobile network. The multi-application
communication device includes a processor configured to run at
least a current application program having a current application
graphical interface and a telephone application having a telephone
application graphical interface configured to control the wireless
communicator. The communication device also includes a screen and
an input device. A plurality of control buttons are displayed on
the screen when the wireless communicator is not idle to control
the wireless communicator without first changing the current
application screen display to the telephone application screen
display.
Inventors: |
SINGH, MONA; (CARY, NC)
; FEHNEL, MICHAEL; (FUQUAY-VARINA, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD PHILLIPS VAN SANTEN CLARK AND
MORTIMER
500 WEST MADISON STREET
SUITE 3800
CHICAGO
IL
60661
|
Family ID: |
22611808 |
Appl. No.: |
09/168513 |
Filed: |
October 8, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/566 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/72403 20210101;
H04M 1/7243 20210101; H04M 1/663 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/556 |
International
Class: |
H04Q 007/20; H04M
011/00; H04M 001/00; H04B 001/38 |
Claims
1. A multi-application communication device comprising: a wireless
communicator having a plurality of states configured to provide
telecommunications between the device and the public land mobile
network; a processor configured to run at least a current
application program having a current application graphical
interface and a telephone application having a telephone
application graphical interface configured to control the wireless
communicator; a screen configured to display one of said graphical
interfaces at a time under the control of the processor; an input
device; and a plurality of telephone control buttons displayed on
the screen when the wireless communicator is not idle operable in
conjunction with the input device to control the state of the
wireless communicator without first changing the current
application graphical interface to the telephone application screen
display.
2. The multi-application communication device of claim 1 further
including a plurality of application programs each having a
graphical interface, wherein said at least a current application
program comprises one of said plurality of application
programs.
3. The multi-application communication device of claim 1 wherein
said control buttons are configured to present call answering
options responsive to receipt of an incoming telephone call.
4. The multi-application communication device of claim 3 wherein
said processor is configured to continue running said current
application program while said communication device is active.
5. The multi-application communication device of claim 1 wherein
said screen and said input device comprise a touch screen.
6. The multi-application communication device of claim 1 wherein
said input device comprises a keypad.
7. The multi-application communication device of claim 1 wherein
said input device comprises a stylus.
8. A method for controlling a multi-application communication
device, said communication device comprising a screen, an input
device, and a processor running a plurality of application programs
each having a screen display and a telephone application having a
graphical interface, said method comprising: defining one of said
plurality of application programs as a currently operating
application; displaying the graphical interface for the currently
operating program; and defining a location on the screen that is
operable in conjunction with the input device to operate said
communication device when the telephone application is not the
currently operating application.
9. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of: receiving
an incoming call; presenting a display of options for answering the
call; and continuing to display the screen display for the
currently operating program.
10. The method of claim 8 further including the step of: displaying
a telephone access icon on the screen to indicate the location to
operate the communication device.
11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of:
displaying call answering options at the location to operate the
communication device responsive to receipt of a telephone call.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying call
answering options comprises displaying an answer icon, a divert
icon and a reject icon.
13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of: answering
said incoming call responsive to the answer button being input by
the user.
14. The method of claim 12 further including the step of: diverting
the incoming call to a voice mail system responsive to the divert
button being input by user.
15. The method of claim 12 further including the step of: rejecting
the incoming call responsive to the reject icon being input by the
user.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless
communication devices, and, more specifically, to a communication
device that also has computer-like functionality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Communication devices of today have more functionality than
communication devices of science fiction of the past. Today's
communication devices have a wireless telephone (also called cell
phone or cellular telephone) and a computer-like environment. Such
devices perform many of the functions of a pocket computer
(organizer, address book, note taking, and e-mail, for example), as
well as the functions of a wireless telephone.
[0003] One consequence of having multiple, concurrent applications
running in a small unit with a correspondingly small video screen
is that the user can only view one application's screen display at
one time. The user has to close, toggle or at least minimize the
currently viewed display in order to switch from one application to
another without the aid of a keyboard or a mouse. In this
computer-like environment, the telephone application, which
controls the wireless telephone, is merely another application. To
use the wireless telephone, the user must stop whatever he or she
is doing, close or minimize the application display and start the
telephone application.
[0004] This one-thing-at-a-time (serial) approach to communication
devices is not what a user expects when he or she uses a telephone.
A user expects a telephone to be instantly accessible. When the
telephone starts "ringing," it can be difficult to hurriedly
perform the closing, selecting, opening and answering steps.
Further, many people continue to work, take notes, etc., while
talking on the telephone. However, such multi-tasking is not
possible on today's communicator. Thus, the current, computer-like
interface in a communication device is awkward, at best, because it
is not a familiar method of using a telephone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with one aspect of our invention, a
multi-application communication device comprises a wireless
communicator having a plurality of states configured to provide
telecommunication between the device and the public land mobile
network. The multi-application communication device also includes a
processor configured to manage at least a current application
program having a current application screen display and a telephone
application having a telephone application screen display. The
telephone application is configured to control the wireless
communicator. The communication device also includes a screen and
an input device. According to this invention, a plurality of
telephone control buttons are displayed on the screen when the
wireless communication is not idle and are operable in conjunction
with the input device to control the state of the communication
device without first changing the current application screen
display to the telephone application screen display.
[0006] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
communication device further includes a plurality of application
programs each having its own graphical user interface wherein the
current application is one of the plurality of application
programs. Further, the control buttons are configured to present
call answering options responsive to receipt of an incoming call,
and is configured to continue running the current application
program during an active telephone call. The screen and input
device may comprise a touch screen or the input device may comprise
a keypad. Further, the input device may comprise a stylus or speech
recognition.
[0007] In accordance with a method aspect of our invention, a
method is disclosed for controlling a multi-application
communication device having a wireless communicator, a screen, an
input device and a processor running a plurality of application
programs each having a graphical user interface. The method
comprises the steps of defining one of the plurality of application
programs as a currently operating application, displaying the
screen display for the currently operating application, and
defining a location on the screen that is operable in conjunction
with the input device to operate the communication device when the
telephone application is not the currently operating
application.
[0008] In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the
method further includes the steps of receiving an incoming call,
presenting a screen display of options for answering the call and
continuing to display the screen display for the currently
operating program. The method further includes displaying a
telephone access icon on the screen to indicate the location to
operate the communications device in response to receipt of a
telephone call. Further, the step of displaying the call answering
options comprises displaying an answer icon, a divert icon and a
reject icon. The call is answered responsive to activation of the
answer icon, diverted to for example a voice mail system responsive
to the divert icon, and the call is not answered responsive to the
reject icon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A more complete understanding of this invention may be
obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description
in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-application
communication device according to an exemplary embodiment of this
invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a sample screen display of the communication
device in an idle state;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a screen display of the communication device in
the incoming call state; and
[0013] FIG. 4 is a state diagram of control of the communication
device of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] In most computer operating systems, the main screen is
considered a "virtual desktop." Each application opens its own
application display on the virtual desktop. The present invention
uses the desktop paradigm and adds a communication device (e.g., a
telephone) that is always available on the virtual desktop, just as
it is on an office desktop. Additionally, as in the desktop
analogy, the user may continue working on the current application
while using the communication device.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a multi-application
communication device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of
this invention. The multi-application communication device 10
includes an antenna 12 for sending and receiving radio signals
between itself and the public land mobile network (not shown but
well known in the art). The antenna 12 is connected to a duplex
filter 14, which enables receiver 16 and transmitter 18 to receive
and broadcast (respectively) on the same antenna 12. The receiver
16 demodulates, demultiplexes and decodes the radio signals into
one or more channels. Such channels include a control channel and a
traffic channel for speech or data. The speech or data are
delivered over wire pair 20 to speaker 22, or other output device
(such as a fax or modem connector).
[0016] A microphone 24 receives speech signal input, converts the
input into analog electrical signals and delivers the analog
electrical signals to transmitter 18 over wire pair 26. The
transmitter converts the analog electrical signals into digital
data, encodes the data with error detection and correction
information and multiplexes this data with control messages from
processor 28. The transmitter 18 modulates this combined data
stream and broadcasts the resultant radio signal to the public land
mobile network through duplex filter 14 and antenna 12.
[0017] The processor 28 runs a the plurality of application
programs of the multi-application communication device 10 using
programs and data stored in memory 30. The processor 28 also
controls a video display 36 causing it to display information
related to each of the application programs. Such information
includes text, symbols, icons and pictures as is known in the art.
According to this exemplary embodiment of this invention, the
display 36 is a touch screen. To this end, vertical transducer 38
and horizontal transducer 40 emit optical or audio waves to
vertical receiver 42 and horizontal receiver 44, respectively. A
finger touch on display 36 interrupts the wave flow, whereby
processor 28 determines the location of the touch based on the
coordinates reported by receiver 42 and 44, as is known in the art.
Thus, processor 28 displays various text, icons, etc., on the
screen, and runs the application programs according to the
coordinates of the touched location.
[0018] Of course, a stylus-based input device or speech recognition
could be used instead of a touch screen with the invention.
Further, a display screen and a separate keyboard or pointing
device (such a mouse) may be used, as are all well known in the
art.
[0019] Turning now to FIG. 2 a screen display according to one
exemplary embodiment of this invention is shown. An e-mail
application display 50 is illustrated on display 36. In the
right-hand column 302, the e-mail message header is ready to accept
input. In the left-hand column 304, potential recipients are
displayed. The upper portion of the e-mail application display 50
includes a box 54 that displays the currently active application.
By touching the box 54, the user can change the application.
Adjacent to the application box 54 is a telephone icon 56.
[0020] In this exemplary embodiment, the wireless telephone is in
its idle state. There are no additional buttons by the telephone
icon 56. If the user presses telephone icon 56, the telephone
application (dialer) is activated. Additionally, placement of the
telephone icon 56 adjacent to the application box 54 conserves
screen space by occupying otherwise unused space.
[0021] Turning now FIG. 3, a sample graphical user interface is
shown when the communication device is in the incoming call state.
The current application (e-mail) screen display 50 is still being
displayed and the application is active. However, in addition to
the telephone icon 56, there are three additional buttons: "answer"
300, "reject" 302 and "divert" 304. (The communication may optional
give an audible notification of an incoming call.) The user can
select one of the buttons 300, 302 and 304 and then continuing to
work on the application. These buttons 300, 302 and 304 provide the
user with the ability to answer the call, to reject the call or to
divert the call to a preprogrammed location (such as voice mail or
a call forwarding number). In this manner, the user does not have
to stop or change application programs, as in the prior art.
[0022] Whenever the wireless telephone is not idle (that is,
receives an incoming call, active on a call, hold, etc.), the
possible state changes are display as buttons near telephone icon
56. States and state changes that may appear as buttons are listed
in Table 1.
1 TABLE 1 State State Buttons Idle None Incoming Call Answer Reject
Divert Active Hang up Hold Transfer Hold Resume Hang up
Transfer
[0023] In this manner, the user can intuitively manipulate the
telephone in a multi-application communication device without
changing applications (unless dialing out).
[0024] Turning now to FIG. 4 a state diagram is illustrated showing
the various states and the controls that are available to the user,
without having to change the currently running application.
Generally, the wireless telephone is in the idle state. When an
incoming call arrives 402, the wireless telephone is not idle and
processing moves to the incoming call state 404. As shown in FIG.
3, the incoming controls include answer 300, reject 304 and divert
304.
[0025] If the call is answered represented by line 410, in the
incoming call state 404, processing moves to the active state 412.
The options available from the active state 412 include "end", line
414, which moves the call back to the idle state 400, and "hold",
line 416, which moves the call into a hold state 418. From the hold
state 418, the user can end the call, line 420, transfer the call,
line 421, or resume the call, line 422, to the active state
412.
[0026] In the active state 412, the user can also receive another
incoming call, line 424, or transfer, line 426, the current call.
In both cases, the system moves to the dialer state 428 (telephone
application). Additionally, the dialer state 428 (telephone
application) may be reached by touching the telephone icon in the
idle state 430.
[0027] It will therefore be apparent that this invention clearly
and simply provides a means of providing a multi-application device
while still maintaining the communication function in a readily
apparent and usable area, thus making confusion less likely and not
requiring the user to change to a specific application in order to
answer the phone. It is to be understood that the above-described
embodiment is to illustrate the principles of this invention, and
that those skilled in the art may devise many variations without
departing from the scope of the invention. It is, therefore,
intended that such variations be included within the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *